How to Pronounce "see the forest for the trees"
expression
SEE thuh FAWR-ist fer thuh TREEZ
SEE thuh FOR-ist faw thuh TREEZ
Definition
To understand the overall situation or big picture, rather than focusing only on small details.
IPA Transcription
American English
ˈsi/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈfɔɹəst/, /ˈfɔɹɪst/ /ˈfɔɹ/, /fɝ/, /fɹɝ/ /ˈðə/, /ðə/, /ði/ /ˈtɹiz
British English
sˈiː/ /ðə, ði/ /fˈɒɹɪst/ /fˈɔː/ /ðə, ði/ /tɹˈiːz
Simplified Pronunciation
US
SEE thuh FAWR-ist fer thuh TREEZ
UK
SEE thuh FOR-ist faw thuh TREEZ
Listen in Context
Try to see the forest for the trees when solving this problem.
Sometimes it’s hard to see the forest for the trees at work.
Don’t forget to see the forest for the trees during your studies.
He was so focused on perfecting each slide that he couldn’t see the forest for the trees in his presentation.